Tax reform discussion draft prompts NASE commentsNASEIn April, the NASE provided feedback to the U.S. House of
Representatives Ways and Means Committee on its small-business tax reform discussion draft. The NASE has met with various tax staff members to express our concern and discuss additional items that we encourage the House Ways & Means Committee, as well as the House Small Business Committee to consider as they work to finalize draft legislation reforming the tax code. The NASE suggests the following tax proposals to make the tax reform draft more relevant to the self-employed.

Changes to the SBA contract rule for women-owned small businessesNASEThe Small Business Administration recently announced that they are amending regulations to allow greater access to federal contracting opportunities for women-owned businesses. This signals the commitment by the SBA to continue to advocate and support woman business owners. With the rule change, the contracts can be at any dollar amount.

Your business is never too small for a cyber attackForbesAccording to a recent study cited by the U.S. House Small Business Subcommittee on Health and Technology, nearly 20 percent of all cyber attacks hit small businesses with 250 or fewer employees. Roughly 60 percent of small businesses close within six months of a cyber attack. The fact is, if you’re in business, you're a target. If you're on the Internet, you're already under attack. Here's how to protect yourself.

Some options for small-business owners who want to cash outThe Arizona Daily StarFor small-business owners, it's difficult to project far into the future when it's time to retire or move on to another phase of their life. Whatever the trigger point, eventually everyone needs to become liquid. Unlike stocks, which have an active marketplace, businesses are illiquid assets you can't sell in an afternoon. Selling a business requires planning and patience. What are the options for a business owner who wants to cash out?

Tax reform discussion draft prompts NASE commentsNASEIn April, the NASE provided feedback to the U.S. House of
Representatives Ways and Means Committee on its small-business tax reform discussion draft. The NASE has met with various tax staff members to express our concern and discuss additional items that we encourage the House Ways & Means Committee, as well as the House Small Business Committee to consider as they work to finalize draft legislation reforming the tax code.

How you can lower your self-employment taxesSmall Business TrendsThe end of tax time typically brings renewed interest in business structures. Fresh from filling out their tax forms, sole proprietors and partners in a general partnership are often concerned about self-employment taxes and wonder if there's a way to legally keep more of their hard earned money. If you have a sole proprietorship, general partnership or thinking about starting a business, read on to learn if incorporating or forming an LLC for your business can help you reduce self-employment taxes.

Exchange healthcare applications releasedNASEOn April 30, the Department of Health and Human Services released the new, simplified exchange healthcare application for both individuals and families. Applications to secure health insurance in the marketplace will be accepted starting Oct. 1, but it is recommended that you spend some time and familiarizing yourself with the application so that you are ready to go when the marketplace opens for business.

How powerful is your personal brand?By C. Fredrick Crum As we hear of challenges from around the world and as markets shift, we can no longer rely on job security. Climbing up the corporate ladder in a singular firm is no longer the norm. In fact, looking into the crystal ball, we all may be self-employed private contractors working for, but not attached to, any particular firm or organization. Knowing these trends, there is only one realistic advantage that's certain to outshine the others: your personal brand.

Looking to share your expertise?MultiBriefsIn an effort to enhance the overall content of the NASE OutFront Weekly, we'd like to include peer-written articles in future editions. As a member of the NASE, your knowledge and experience in the industry can be of great help to your fellow members. And we're hoping you'll share this expertise with your peers through well-written commentary. Because of the digital format, there's no word or graphical limit, and our group of talented editors can help with final edits. If you're interested in participating, please contact Ronnie Richard to discuss logistics.

Intelligent email marketing should be personalized and targetedFourth Source It's time for marketers to get smart with email marketing campaigns. If emails are properly targeted and engaging, not only will customers have an improved experience but marketers will also benefit from having better visibility of what campaigns are most, or least, successful.

Health insurance tax 'scares the daylights' out of some small-business ownersThe Washington PostMany small-business owners worry that a new tax on insurance providers in the healthcare law will mean higher premiums for them, undermining the law's capacity to lower their healthcare costs. Starting next year, the federal government will charge a new fee on health insurance firms based on the plans they sell to individuals and companies, known as the fully insured market. Meanwhile, the provision exempts health insurance plans that are set up and operated by businesses themselves.

New York Fed: Tight credit restrains small-business growthBloombergThe Federal Reserve Bank of New York said tight credit restrained the growth plans of many small businesses in 2012, citing a survey of lending in its district conducted in March and April. The biannual survey found that 49 percent of small businesses identified the difficulty getting credit as "a barrier to growth," according to the survey of 812 small businesses in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Survey: Small businesses prefer social media marketingFox News via Business 2 CommunitySmall businesses prefer to conduct their marketing efforts on social networking sites over location-based marketing, according to an article by Fox News. Given the word-of-mouth nature and sharing features of sites such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest, 97 percent of business owners said that they use these platforms to promote their businesses.